The health crisis caused
by COVID-19 (coronavirus) led to the unprecedented closure of schools for the
fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. The development of best practices
to reopen schools, as the crisis continues to loom, is a historic undertaking. While
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is fully prepared for a regular 2020-2021
school year, the District is also actively preparing for a host of contingency
plans that must be considered.

The District is currently convening
a work group, which will be comprised primarily of education and public health
experts, to assist in gathering input and formulating reccomendations for reopening
schools, with the understanding that these plans may change depending on how
the pandemic evolves.

Elements the work group
will review include:

·Density reduction and operational design efficiencies of schools: strategic leveraging of
existing square footage to maximize social distancing and safety
recommendations related to the use of gymnasiums, cafeterias, and other large
common areas.

·Transportation: modification of bus routes and other options to allow for social
distancing.

·Protocols for Wellness, Health Screenings, Health Reporting: provision and usage of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for students and staff; daily temperature
checks before entering school buses and school buildings; reporting of illness
by students and their familes, and employees; vaccination requirements;
personal hygiene protocol including mandatory handwashing schedules; and
enhanced social-emotional and mental health supports for students.

·Establishment of M-DCPS Chief Health Officer: outline of specific duties
of this new, pending position related to school reopening contingency plans and
overall District health protocols.

The District will present
the findings and recommendations of the work group to the School Board in June
2020.

Securing Opportunities for
Academic Recovery (SOAR)

While M-DCPS has worked diligently to ensure a seamless
transition from classroom to home-based learning, a considerable academic
regression is likely to occur due to the dramatic shift in learning
environments, specifically for students who are struggling.

When
students, educators, and administrators return to school in the Fall, the
classrooms may be different and potentially marked by larger equity gaps,
substantial learning loss for many students, and exacerbated economic
challenges for traditionally marginalized families and communities. While it is
difficult to speculate on what missing months of school may mean for student
achievement, research on summer learning loss has provided important insight
on how to address some potential impacts of this extended pause in traditional
classroom instruction once students return to school.

The
Securing Opportunities for Academic Recovery plan, also known by the acronym
SOAR, is the District’s newly-developed strategic
initiative to mitigate learning loss for some of its most fragile students.

“SOAR
attempts to turn this highly disruptive health crisis into an educational
opportunity for students who have carried multi-year achievement and performance
deficits”, said Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent of Schools. “These students
will be strategically identified and provided with significant and meaningful
expanded learning opportunities during the summer and into the 2020-2021 school
year.”

SOAR
is comprised of three phases - Recover, Regain, and Restart:

·Recover: During this phase, the District will provide
students with opportunities for summer reading, remediation, credit/course
recovery, and extended school year services from June 8 – July 10. This will
closely mirror the traditional summer school program, but will be conducted
virtually. Students with disabilities, students with an excessive amount of
absences, and students who did not actively participate in distance learning
will be engaged during this phase.

·Regain: This phase will address the unique circumstances of
current 9th grade Algebra students and 10th grade English
Language Arts students who did not have the opportunity to take the state
assessments required for graduation. The District will provide these students
with virtual test preparation and tutoring to enable them to achieve
proficiency on these tests in early Fall, when the state will offer the tests
again.Additionally,
during this phase, all students will have access to the District’s E-Learning
Toolbox and Academic Challenges, via the student portals, as is customary. All
M-DCPS students will also have access to the vast digital content the District
licenses to assist students who are on grade level to enrich their learning and
continue to challenge themselves during the summer months.

·Restart: Contingent on guidelines issued by federal and state
public health authorities, M-DCPS intends to open schools early, on July 27,
specifically for students demonstrating low levels of academic performance, as
well as for students with disabilities, and English language learners. During
this time, the identified students will receive intense instruction on the
skills needed in core academic areas for their new grade level, so they are
poised to be academically successful. During this phase, the District is also
planning to expand the number of schools that participate in the extended
school day program, and to begin Saturday School earlier in the year to maximize
instructional time. If schools must remain closed during this phase, these
plans will be converted to a virtual model.

Distance Learning and Attendance
Update

Distance learning
continues to be in full swing at M-DCPS, with an average daily attendance of
more than 92 percent this week. Nearly 100 percent of students have logged onto
the portal since April 6. An updated distance learning information guide,
containing answers to frequently asked questions can be found at covid19.dadeschools.net.

The
District has delivered 114,000 digital devices, including phones with Wi-Fi
that serve as hotspots. Schools continue actively engaging students who have
not confirmed the availability of a device at home through calls, emails, and
in some cases, when necessary, by conducting home visits, while following
social distancing guidelines. M-DCPS’ partner, Comcast, also recently announced
an extension of free usage of its public Wi-Fi hotspots through June 30.

Class of 2020 Graduations

After taking into account
feedback from seniors and other stakeholders, including parents, the District
announced it will hold virtual graduation ceremonies at the end of this school
year, followed by senior recognition activities with all of the
pomp and circumstance seniors have earned, when conditions improve, either
later in the summer or in the winter, depending on the guidance of medical
experts.

For the virtual
graduations, the District is making every effort to follow the graduation dates
and times that have already been scheduled, though some flexibility may be
required. A final graduation schedule will be released next week. All ceremonies
will be broadcast online, and some media partners have committed to showcasing
some of these events as well. The virtual graduations will include students, as
well as school, region, and District administrators and Board Members. During
each ceremony, the photo of each graduating senior will be displayed while the
student's name is announced. Parents and guests will also have the opportunity
to remotely attend virtual graduation ceremonies.

M-DCPS also launched an
innovative marketing campaign to publicly celebrate the accomplishments of
seniors, both on social media and through partnerships with the Miami Herald
and local television stations. Click here
to learn more.

Advocacy for Financial
Relief

The District is advocating,
at both the state and federal levels, for adequate funding to mitigate the
financial impact of the health crisis. Superintendent Carvalho and 61 other
large school district superintendents co-signed a letter sent to Congress to
lobby for augmented funding to K-12 systems, due to increases in need for digital
devices, academic supports, meals, and other modifications to the traditional
school year.

Resources for Families

The
M-DCPS Parent Academy offers a variety of resources for families to support
distance learning in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole. These resources
include a Virtual Campus that features pre-recorded webinars on how to use a
variety of online programs; Family Matters, which provides guidance on topics
like mental health, vaping, and online learning resources; Virtual Family Fund,
which provides links to enriching family activities; and School Meals to assist
families in locating the closest M-DCPS meal distribution site. Visit www.parentacademymiami.com for these resources and
more.

Resources

Mission Statement

Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Office of Communications (OOC) is committed to the timely and accurate dissemination of information that highlights the school districts programs, initiatives, and achievements to reinforce awareness among internal and external stakeholders. We pursue this mission through targeted messaging, integrated marketing, social media, and public relations activities that inform and educate parents, students, employees, and all stakeholders of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.